High pressure furnace and methods of use

Abstract

A furnace system including an outer shell which comprises a top flange, an elongated body portion, and a bottom flange, wherein the outer shell is a pressure vessel, with no penetrations in the elongated body portion; a heater assembly which comprises (i) a single-piece annular shaped insulation layer, and (ii) a plurality of heaters embedded in the insulation layer, wherein the heater assembly is disposed within the elongated body portion of the outer shell; and an innermost layer disposed within the annular-shaped insulation layer, wherein the innermost layer is a baffle tube configured to force a natural convective flow, wherein each of the plurality of heaters is individually controllable and the plurality of heaters are configured to heat different zones within the furnace to different temperatures and/or at different rates. The system may be used to heat treat magnet materials, such as those formed of Bi-2212, therein.

That which is claimed is: 
     
       1. A furnace system comprising:
 an outer shell which comprises a top flange, an elongated body portion, and a bottom flange; 
 a heater assembly which comprises (i) a single-piece annular shaped insulation layer, and (ii) a plurality of heaters embedded in the insulation layer, wherein the heater assembly is disposed within the elongated body portion of the outer shell; 
 an innermost layer disposed within the annular-shaped insulation layer; and 
 a gas inlet and a gas outlet, which are configured to feed one or more gases or gas mixture through the furnace. 
 
     
     
       2. The furnace system of  claim 1 , wherein the outer shell is a pressure vessel, with no penetrations in the elongated body portion. 
     
     
       3. The furnace system of  claim 2 , wherein the innermost layer is a baffle tube comprising a series of openings radially spaced around a circumference of the baffle tube, the series of openings configured to force a natural convective flow. 
     
     
       4. The furnace system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of heaters are configured to heat different zones within the furnace to different temperatures and/or at different rates. 
     
     
       5. The furnace system of  claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of heaters is individually controlled. 
     
     
       6. The furnace system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of heaters consists of six heaters. 
     
     
       7. The furnace system of  claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of heaters is individually controlled. 
     
     
       8. The furnace system of  claim 1 , further comprising two or more gas inlets and two or more gas outlets, which are configured to feed one or more gases or gas mixture through the furnace. 
     
     
       9. The furnace system of  claim 1 , further comprising a control system to control (1) temperatures and pressure within the furnace, and (2) rate of gas flow through the furnace. 
     
     
       10. The furnace system of  claim 1 , wherein electrical feedthroughs, control thermocouples, pressure transducer and a gas inlet are located in the base flange, and wherein sample thermocouples and a gas outlet are located in the top flange. 
     
     
       11. The furnace system of  claim 1 , which is configured to be operated at a temperature up to at least 1000° C. 
     
     
       12. A method of heat treating magnet materials, the method comprising:
 deploying a magnet material within a furnace of the furnace system of  claim 1 ; and 
 heat treating the magnet material within the furnace. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the magnet material comprises or consists of Bi-2212. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the magnet material is in the form of a wire. 
     
     
       15. A furnace system comprising:
 an outer shell which comprises a top flange, an elongated body portion, and a bottom flange, wherein the outer shell is a pressure vessel, with no penetrations in the elongated body portion; 
 a heater assembly which comprises (i) a single-piece annular shaped insulation layer, and (ii) a plurality of heaters embedded in the insulation layer, wherein the heater assembly is disposed within the elongated body portion of the outer shell; and 
 an innermost layer disposed within the annular-shaped insulation layer, wherein the innermost layer is a baffle tube comprising a series of openings radially spaced around a circumference of the baffle tube, the series of openings configured to force a natural convective flow, 
 wherein each of the plurality of heaters is individually controllable and the plurality of heaters are configured to heat different zones within the furnace to different temperatures and/or at different rates, and 
 wherein electrical feedthroughs, one or more control thermocouples, one or more pressure transducers, and one or more gas inlets are located in the base flange, and wherein one or more sample thermocouples and a gas outlet are located in the top flange. 
 
     
     
       16. The furnace system of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of heaters consists of six heaters. 
     
     
       17. The furnace system of  claim 15 , further comprising a control system to control (1) temperatures and pressure within the furnace, and (2) rate of gas flow through the furnace.